On Horsemanship

By Xenophon

Xenophon was an ancient Greek historian, soldier, and student of Socrates.  Xenophon was not considered a philosopher during his time but he is now often considered one.  Xenophon’s writings cover many different genres and are still widely studied by students today.  This edition of On Horsemanship includes a table of contents.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Charles River Editors
• Release date: Mar 22, 2018
• ISBN: 9781531264628

Xenophon

Xenophon of Athens was an ancient Greek historian, philosopher, and soldier. He became commander of the Ten Thousand at about age thirty. Noted military historian Theodore Ayrault Dodge said of him, “The centuries since have devised nothing to surpass the genius of this warrior.”  

Book preview

ON HORSEMANSHIP

..................

Xenophon

KYPROS PRESS

Thank you for reading. If you enjoy this book, please leave a review or connect with the author.

All rights reserved. Aside from brief quotations for media coverage and reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any form without the author’s permission. Thank you for supporting authors and a diverse, creative culture by purchasing this book and complying with copyright laws.

Copyright © 2016 by Xenophon

Interior design by Pronoun

Distribution by Pronoun

TABLE OF CONTENTS

On Horsemanship

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

X.

XI.

XII.

ON HORSEMANSHIP

..................

Translated by H.G. Dakyns

I.

Claiming to have attained some proficiency in horsemanship ourselves, as the result of long experience in the field, our wish is to explain, for the benefit of our younger friends, what we conceive to be the most correct method of dealing with horses.

There is, it is true, a treatise on horsemanship written by Simon, the same who dedicated the bronze horse near the Eleusinion in Athens with a representation of his exploits engraved in relief on the pedestal. But we shall not on that account expunge from our treatise any conclusions in which we happen to agree with that author; on the contrary we shall hand them on with still greater pleasure to our friends, in the belief that we shall only gain in authority from the fact that so great an expert in horsemanship held similar views to our own; whilst with regard to matters omitted in his treatise, we shall endeavour to supply them.

As our first topic we shall deal with the question, how a man may best avoid being cheated in the purchase of a horse.

Take the case of a foal as yet unbroken: it is plain that our scrutiny must begin with the body; an animal that has never yet been mounted can but present the vaguest indications of spirit. Confining ourselves therefore to the body, the first point to examine, we maintain, will be the feet. Just as a house would be of little use, however beautiful its upper stories, if the underlying foundations were not what they ought to be, so there is little use to be extracted from a horse, and in particular a war-horse, if unsound in his feet, however excellent his other points; since he could not turn a single one of them to good account.

In testing the feet the first thing to examine will be the horny portion of the hoof. For soundness of foot a thick horn is far better than a thin. Again it is important to notice whether the hoofs are high both before and behind, or flat to the ground; for a high hoof keeps the frog, as it is called, well off the ground; whereas a low hoof treads equally with the stoutest and softest part of the foot alike, the gait resembling that of a bandy-legged man. You may tell a good foot clearly by the ring, says Simon happily; for the hollow hoof rings like a cymbal against the solid earth.

And